Processes of subterranean drilling, completion, and production of wellbores utilize tools and components to form wellbores and to extract oil and gas from the formation surrounding the wellbores. Some of the wellbore system components may form temporary obstructions that are later removed for further drilling or completion activities. Bridge plugs, valve plugs, gravel-pack screens, and drop balls for hydraulic fracturing, expandable reamers and stabilizers, etc., are examples of wellbore system components that each form temporary obstructions. Known methods of removing such components include drilling through the components, extending a wireline into the wellbore for removal or repositioning of the components, activating a downhole mechanism for removal or repositioning of the components, reversal of fluid flow, or degradation, dissolution, or decomposition of the components.
One known decomposable material used in components of wellbore systems is IN-TALLIC®, available from Baker Hughes Incorporated of Houston, Tex. The IN-TALLIC® material is a controlled electrolytic metallic (“CEM”) nanostructured material generally described in, for example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/633,682 to Xu et al. and assigned to Baker Hughes Incorporated, titled “NANOMATRIX POWDER METAL COMPACT,” filed Dec. 8, 2009 (hereinafter “the '682 application”), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by this reference. The IN-TALLIC® material is slightly reactive with fresh water, will disintegrate at a higher rate in salt water (brine) than in water, and will disintegrate at a higher rate in a 5% hydrochloric acid solution than in salt water.
A known dissolvable thermoplastic polymer used in components of wellbore systems is poly(glycolic acid) (“PGA”). PGA is water soluble and, therefore, components formed of PGA can be dissolved in water.